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Palliative Care in Kolkata

Palliative Care

Palliative Care in Kolkata

Specialised medical treatment aimed at relieving the stress and symptoms of a life-threatening illness is known as palliative care. Its objective is to enhance the patient's and their family's quality of life. A group of medical professionals, nurses, and other experts who collaborate with the patient's other physicians to provide palliative care, serve as additional support. It can be given in conjunction with curative treatment at any age or stage of a serious illness. Help with medical decision-making, emotional support, and pain management are important components.

Manipal Hospitals provide patients with life-threatening diseases with comprehensive palliative care treatments that are designed to enhance their quality of life. Our interdisciplinary team helps with difficult medical decisions, offers emotional and psychological support, and manages pain and symptoms. To provide comfort and dignity, the team works closely with patients and their families to create individualised care plans. In order to provide seamless, comprehensive treatment, services include home care, counselling, and coordination with other healthcare providers. Manipal Hospitals place a high value on compassionate treatment, seeking to improve patient's quality of life and assist families during difficult times.

Consult our medical oncologists if you need Palliative Care in Kolkata.

Specialised medical treatment aimed at relieving the stress and symptoms of a life-threatening illness is known as palliative care. Its objective is to enhance the patient's and their family's quality of life

FAQ's

Palliative care refers to a speciality of medicine designed to enhance the quality of life for patients suffering from life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. It takes into account all aspects of the patient's health, including bodily symptoms, psychological discomfort, social difficulties, and spiritual issues. The main goals are to address the patient's emotional and spiritual needs in addition to symptom and side effect relief from the condition and its treatments. Furthermore, palliative care may be accessed by anyone at any age and at any stage of their disease
 

A variety of therapy options are used in palliative care to improve patient comfort and reduce symptoms. Palliative care can make use of many of the precise same treatments as the underlying illness, including Drugs, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Surgery. For example, tumour development may be slowed by Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy, which may be used to manage pain; on the other hand, Surgical operations may be necessary to relieve pain that is being produced by masses pushing on nerves. With an emphasis on symptom management and comfort as critical elements of treatment, these interventions are customised to address particular symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life.
 

Palliative care is intended to help people with a variety of serious or life-threatening conditions, not just cancer. The following are a few illnesses that palliative care is frequently used to treat:

  • Cancer: Palliative care is often used in conjunction with Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy to relieve side effects and manage symptoms.

  • Heart illness: Palliative care can help patients with advanced heart disease by reducing symptoms including breathlessness, chest pain, and fluid retention.

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Palliative care can support patients with COPD in coping with emotional and psychological difficulties.

  • Neurological diseases: Palliative care can be used to treat symptoms including pain, physical weakness, cognitive impairment, and emotional distress in patients with conditions like dementia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

  • Renal failure: Palliative care can help people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by supporting them in making difficult treatment decisions, such as Dialysis and Transplant possibilities, and by treating symptoms.

Palliative care has several advantages, such as reduced pain and symptoms, better quality of life, increased mental and spiritual health, better coordination and communication between medical professionals, support for families and caregivers, and help with difficult treatment choices. It emphasises individualised treatment in line with the patient's objectives and desires, offering comprehensive care that attends to mental and spiritual requirements in addition to physical problems
 

It is possible to arrange for palliative care to be given in the convenience of your own home, assuring that you will be supported by loved ones and in a familiar environment during this difficult period. Palliative care can also be provided at hospitals or other care facilities if you would rather be in a different setting or if your conditions require more extensive medical attention. Palliative care is flexible enough to be customised to your unique circumstances and choices, so you may get the support and comfort you require wherever it's most comfortable for you.
 

Palliative care preparation is a multi-step process. First, talk to your loved ones and your healthcare practitioner about your choices and objectives. Make sure your healthcare decisions are outlined in any living wills or advance directives. If necessary, think about appointing a healthcare proxy to act on your behalf when making choices. Arrange your prescriptions and health information, and compile a list of essential contacts. Decide if you want your care to be provided at home, at a hospice, or somewhere else. Lastly, be honest with your palliative care team about your concerns, symptoms, and goals to make sure your care plan is tailored to your preferences and requirements
 

To control symptoms and enhance the patient's quality of life, palliative care can be started at any point throughout a serious disease. Hospice care, on the other hand, is intended especially for patients who are approaching the end of their lives, usually at the point when curative measures are no longer needed or effective. Hospice care offers comprehensive assistance, encompassing medical, psychological, and spiritual support, ensuring ease and respectability during the latter phases of existence.